Anesthetic-inhaler.



G. W. GAY.

ANESTHETIC INHALER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY aI. 1916.

Patented Apr. l?, 191?.

GEORGE W. GAY, vOF CORONA, NEW YORK.

ANESTHETIC-INHALER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 17, 191'?.

Application filed May 31, 1916. Serial No. 100,978.

To all 'wwm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. GAY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Corona, Long Island, New York, have invented a new and useful Anesthetic- Inhaler, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to apparatus for administering anesthetics and the general objects of the invention are to provide a simple and effective instrument for administering anesthetics such as nitrous oxid and ether, which can be readily operated to control the gas and ether and in which further the ether mixture can be readily controlled at any time as much as may be required.

Another object is to enable ready adjustment of the mask with respectto the inhaler body.

In the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects I construct my inhaler with a tubular body having gas and ether passages discharging into a common outlet passage and provide a valve located preferably at the junction ofthe gas and ether passages with the outlet passage, arranged as itv is operated in opposite directions to control` both the ether and gas passages. This valve is preferably yieldingly held in dierent'positions to which it is operated and indicating means are preferably provided showing at a glance the position of the valve.

A chamber containing an absorbent or other medium holding the ether or the like, is interposed in the so-called ether passage and a special feature of this chamber is that it is provided wth a free-air opening in one side thereof controlled by a readily operable valve in the form of a sleeve slidably engaged over the tubular body of the device. A respiratory mask is applied to the outlet end of the tubular body and a feature of this mask is that it is swiveled so that it maybe turned to suit different positions of the patient. Another feature is the provision of means for automatically supplying a predetermined quantity of the anesthetic.

Other features and details of the invention will appear as the specification proceeds, attention being directed to the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated the invention embodied in a concrete and practical form. Y v

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of this embodiment of the invention, shown partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same taken substantially on the plane of the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary view taken substantially on the plane of the line 8 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing now more in detail:

7 designates the tubular body portion of the device having an outlet or discharge passage 8 and so-called gas7 and ether passages 9 and 10 discharging thereinto, said gas and ether passages being usually arranged somewhat as indicated on converging lines so as to bring the valve seats 11 and 12 at the ends of these passages into juxtaposed relation.

rlhe gas and ether passages are usually provided with neck portions 13 and 14; at the outer ends thereofto receive the usual gas and ether bags 15 and 16, the gas bag ordinarily having a valve 17 for controlling the i flow of gas and the ether bag being usually simply a closed reservoir for ,holding the ether or other fumes.

The valve mechanism by which the iiows of ether and gas are controlled takes the form, in the present disclosure, of a single flap valve 18 pivotally supported at a point between the juxtaposed valve seats by means of a spindle 19 having an operating handle 20 on one end thereof by which the spindle may be turned and the valve be thereby swung in opposite directions into and out of engagement with the respective valve seats. By thus locating the valve at the junction ofthe gas and ether passages with the outlet passage a single valve can be utilized to control the flow of both gas and ether and the control furthermore is effected by a relatively slight movement of a single operating handle.

In order that the position of the control valve may be known at all times, indicating means are usually provided, the same being herein shown as a pointer 21 on the valve stem arranged to register with indications such as those shown at 22 on the side of the tubular casing, these indications consisting, in the case illustrated, of a G indicating the position where the valve closes the ether Iii] @man

passage and the gas is therefore on, a 1/2, indicating the condition Where the valve is half-way open and both gas and lether are on and an E indicating the position where the valve closes the gas passage and the ether is on. Y

Means are usually provided for yieldingly holding the valve in they positions which it is normally intended to occupy, such means being herein shown as a spring 23 bearing on flattened portions 2li formed on the sides of the valve spindle.

The ether or other anesthetic is usually applied to gauze or other absorbent such as that indicated at 25 supported uin a chamber 26 provided for the purpose in the ether passage, said chamber being herein defined by screens 27 at the opposite ends thereof for holding the gauze in place. This chamber is provided with an opening 28 in one side thereof for the admission and extraction of the gauze and application of the ether orv other medium and this opening is controlled by a valve 29 sleeved over the tubular body and held in place thereon by confining flanges 30 at opposite ends thereof, said flanges preferably overlapping the ends of the valve sleeves so as to provide a close-fitting joint.

A hood 31 is applied to theoutlet end of the device and this hood preferably has a swiveling engagement with the end of the tubular body member as indicated at 32 so that the lsame may be readily turned to meet different conditions. A sufliciently tight and at the same time easily swiveling joint is provided by slightly tapering the end of the hood as indicated to fit inside the mouth of the tubular body.

' The use of the device will from the foregoing be readily understood.V At the start the .control valve usually occupies the position shown, closing the ether passage and' the valve 17 is manipulated to admit the proper quantity of nitrous oxid or other gas.

- At the proper time theflow of gas is shut off and the control valve is manipulated to open the ether passage and close olf `the gas passage, the opening up of the ether and the closing olf of the gas being accomplished gradually or suddenly as required by slow' or rapid manipulation of said valve. lf Vat Y any time it becomes necessary the ether can be either quickly or gradually diluted by rotating the valve 29 to open up the free air passage 28 more or less in which event free air is Vdrawn in at the side of the absorbent Y`'instead of through the body of theabsorb ent.

usually provided with suitablefinger holds such as indicated at 33 by which the same may be readily manipulated.

The valve sleeve isV for the purpose agent can be regulated as required. These facts together with the fact Ythat the construction 'ofters no obstruction to and permits of normal full-capacity breathing contribute to prevent nausea and the other harmful effects Vheretofore experienced.

Provision is also made in my invention for maintaining a `predetermined supply of the anesthetic, such means Y being` Vherein shown as a small reservoir or container 3l for the ether or other medium preferably mounted on a swivel or ball Vjoint 35 so that it may be turned to different Vpositions to keep` it upright and connected by tubing 36 with a supply'nozzle 37 within the etner chamber, the flow from this reservoir being governed by suitable means suchV as the needle valve 38 and the rate of flow being preferably made observable as by means of a sight gage 39 interposed in the line of connections.Y This reservoir is pr vided with'a suitable stopper 40 permitting'ready relilling of the same. In use the needle valve is set so as to permit a iiow sufficient to maintain the desired strength of anesthetizing agent, the rate of flow being readily observable by means o-f the gage glass. Then the inhaler is placed in different positions the ether reservoir'is turned on its ball joint to the branch passage provic ed with a free air inlet, a valve controlling entry of the air in said free air inlet, valve seats arranged'- in adjoining relation at the entrance of the branch passageY into the outlet passage andbelow the etherizing` chamber and a valve pivoted betweenY said Vvalve seats and arranged Yto coperate with the respective' valve seats when swung in opposite direc'- tions.

2.,'A-n anesthetic inhaler comprising a v Y tubular body having an opening:V 1n one side .v

thereof Vfor insertion of an absorbent, screens V1nA sa-1d tubular body above and below said Vopening for retaining'said absorb-Y ent 1n positionY and delining an etherizmglr chamberwithin the tubular body, Vavalve sleeved on the tubular body and movableV thereon to cover the opening Vtherein more or less to thereby regulate admission of freeVV 'Y air through said opening, faceV Vmask applied to the en d ofthej tubular body, a branch passage opening intovr the tubularV eloe-'1730 body at a pointabovetheiface mask and low the etherizing chamber, valve seats at the end of said branch passage and at the end of the etherizing chamber and a single valve mounted for engagement With the respective valve seats.

3. An anesthetic inhaler comprising a tubular body having an opening in one side thereof for insertion of an absorbent, screens in said tubular body above and beloW said opening for retaining said absorbent in position and dening an etherizing chamber Within the tubular body, a valve sleeved on the tubular body and movable thereon to cover the opening therein more or less to thereby regulate admission ot free air through said opening, a face mask applied to the end of the tubular body, an anesthetic reservoir mounted on the tubular body above said sleeved valve and a supply passage eX- tending from the reservoir downward into the etherizing chamber.

4. An anesthetic inhaler comprising a tubular body having an outlet passage and gas and ether passages discharging into said outlet passage, a valve pivoted at the junc tion of said gas and ether passages With said outlet passage and arranged When swung in opposite directions to control said gag and ether passages, an etherizing chamber in the ether passage having a free-air opening in one side thereof and a readily operable valve sleeved over the tubular body and controlling said free-air opening.

5. In combination, an anesthetic inhaler provided With an etherizing chamber, an ether container, a ball joint supporting said ether container on the inhaler and a supply passage leading from said ball joint to said etherizing chamber.

6. In combination, an anesthetic inhaler provided With an etherizing chamber, an ether container, a ball joint supporting said ether container on the inhaler, a supply passage leading from said ball joint to said etherizing chamber and a valve controlling flow from said ether container.

7. n combination, an anesthetic' inhaler provided with an etherizing chamber, an ether container, a ball joint supporting said ether container on the inhaler, a supply passage leading` from said ball joint to said etherizing` chamber, a valve controlling flow from said ether container and a sight gage interposed `in the line of connections from said ether container.

GEORGE WV. GAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

